Lighting - And Let There Be Light

Not so long ago, Bali was a pretty dark place, at least on the professional lighting front. Only as recently as seven years ago, there was little locally produced, designer lighting to be found. Even today, the professional selection is narrow, however the quality, style and designs are exquisite. Most designers have export production, but also realize the value of the local retail market.

Dijaya Unilight Asia or DUA operates a showroom and retails its exclusive designs while custom work is done on contract. In a joint venture with Unilight of Montreal, Dijaya began its lighting fabrication in 1998. Dijaya fuses modern technology with time-honored traditions of fine craftsmanship and natural Asian materials. Design ranges include Asian contemporary design, antique/ancient, ethnic chic and contemporary urban tropic, according to the company’s Canadian president director Alan Dijaya Keller.

“The world is moving toward East Asian design and appreciation of Asian civilizations,” said Allan, predicting that this trend will be long-term, “perhaps centuries.”

Most of DUA’s export distribution has been geometric designs, but is moving toward organic shapes. “We are always looking and adapting new materials and designs,” notes Allan. On the horizon are LED and technical lighting.

DUA focuses on quality and on time delivery. Allan notes that electrical components are not the only critical factor in certified lighting. “Things like construction and physical properties contribute to making it a certified lamp.”

Piment Rouge expanded its furniture production five years ago to include lighting. The company’s French designers Claire Guillot and Ken Vigoni started with modern contemporary designs in iron and steel. They found their market preferred ethnic designs, so they moved into indigenous woods and bamboo.

Each lamp has some ethnic or handmade component that is not available in Europe, Japan, Canada, New Caledonia or other locations to which Piment Rouge exports. Each detail on every lamp is handmade, making finishing very time consuming. Each new design is created and tested with a plan for production efficiency and quality before fabrication begins.

All electrical fittings and components are imported from Europe and meet certificated safety standards for Japan, the US, the UK and Australia. Design shapes may determine the types of woods employed, whether they are straight and long grained with few knots—for standing lamps, for instance—or thick and heavy woods to create stability for table lighting. Lampshades are created with local polycotton in a variety of colors or imported textured and patterned PVC, which is durable and easily cleaned, more appropriate for hanging and wall lamps or commercial use. Local finishing materials range from rattan, roots and reeds to cloves, palm fond spines and leaves.

Piment Rouge’s three retail outlets feature lighting in situ with the company’s furniture, bed linens, soft furnishings and unique decorator items.

Milkwares specializes in cast resin, cast fiberglass and cast stone designs. A new line for export, cast stone has the look and feel of volcanic stone but is lighter and cost effective. “The stone look is a current favorite. Using rotary casting, we are able to provide customers with an exact, lightweight replica of a real stone lamp. The savings on shipping costs are immense.

Imported electrical fittings are used in Milkwares designs, which Ian calls distinctive, with clean lines. He recommends buyers keep their eyes open when making lighting selections. “Inspect, check and then check again,” he said, adding that some suppliers are here today and gone tomorrow.

Many of Milkwares designs employ candlelight. Company director, Australian Ian White, emphasizes “everlasting candles” in many of his lamps and even wax candle designs. This provides a recess space in the lamp or candle for placement of a tea light. Thus, soft-lit candle ambience can be enjoyed endlessly by replacing the hidden candle element.

With three decades of experience, Jakartabased Idea Decorative lighting creates custom chandeliers, pendant lamps, table lamps, wall lamps and lampshades for primarily hotel clients. In Bali, Idea works are seen in the lobbies of Ritz-Carlton Villas, Conrad and the Westin, and rooms at Nirwana Resort, Melia Benoa, Patra Bali and Sheraton Laguna, among others.

Idea manufactures in Central Java, importing electrical fittings and switches from Italy. The company exports and installs lighting worldwide, for Four Seasons, Banyan Tree Resorts and wholesalers in France, maintaining design exclusivity for clients. Director Indah Arianti also acts as the arbitrates conflicts between designers, property owners, hotel management and engineering when lighting decisions are being made, advising on ambience, esthetics, durability, maintenance and practicality of lighting design.

The all-Indonesian design team works in wood, brass, copper, resin, stone and iron but is always seeking new materials, especially for lampshade designs, which are manufactured in Bali. Idea was an International Furniture Show Singapore award winner for its creative original lamp designs using silk cocoon fibers in lampshades. “We are always searching for new, translucent fibers for lampshades, ”said Indah. Among her favorite applications are pineapple, banana and handmade papers.

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